Collision Damage Waiver Cover Explained

Car rental Insurance excess cover is an area that many customers are confused by so we at CARHIRE.ie wanted to make the options as clear as possible so you can be sure of what you are getting. The options can be confusing and contain a lot of jargon but after reading this article, and accompanying ones, especially on third party excess insurers you should be able to make an informed decision.

CDW – Collision Damage Waiver

All of our rental prices you see on our website come with CDW rental car insurance included as standard (as long as you do NOT tick the ‘waive CDW’ box)
The excess amount is the maximum you are a liable for in case of damage. This amount (1600 – 2500euro) varies based on the value of the vehicle.
Should you have the misfortune of having damage occur to the vehicle while on rent, the entire amount of the excess will be retained by the rental company until the damage is fixed. If the damage is less than the excess, you will then be refunded the difference.

The excess amount is preauthorised (held) on your credit card at the beginning of the rental. We do not deduct this money from the account; it just means that we are able to access it if damage occurs.

If the vehicle is returned with no damage then the preauthorised amount is released, however, the length it takes to show as available in your account depends on your bank. Some banks hold this for 21+ days.

If you do not have sufficient credit on your card to cover the excess or you would like to remove/reduce your excess, you can purchase our Super Damage waiver cover.

SDW – Super Damage Waiver

Super Damage Waiver (SDW) is an optional extra cover which reduces your excess in case of damage to zero (except luxury vehicles where the excess can only be reduced to 200Euro).

SDW can be purchased online or at our desk on arrival. The excess hold on your account often doesn’t suit our customers as they need access to those funds or simply just want the comfort of peace of mind. You are on holidays after all!

I hope this clears up the confusion with Ireland rental car insurance. For full details of the policy costs please consult our Terms and Conditions.